Recent reviews by BatteryChrg

Addictive. Good gameplay. Great style. Music by Lena Raine (Celeste). Cute/cool creatures. Also, clapping inappropriately makes me so happy.

My only major complaint is that the battles are really one sided once the scale tips one way or the other.

Will write a note in depth review at some point, when I'm not using my phone. I just wanted to give it a thumbs up for now; it's well deserved.

Crazy fun. Lots of potential. Pretty grindy but there are lots of modifiers you can put into place to suit your play style or that of your crew.

Looking forward to further updates and content.

Starts out slow. Wasn't sure if I was going to like it, as a long-time fan of the series.

Then you fight the boss of chapter 1 and realize what the game really is. It is an absolute adrenaline rush.

PVP unlocks after chapter 2.

Fun roguelite experience with great character building.

UI and resolution options are a bit dated, but can be worked around. Modding community adds variation and some QoL.

This game is awesome.
Playing through the tutorial and even my first completion as the default character, I thought the game was simple but charming and enjoyable.

So I moved onto the second character, Tote. I didn't like this character and how they played at first. It was a huge change of pace and seemed like a mix between this game and Slay the Spire and it wasn't explained. Then I kept going and decided to beat it with Tote. I started realizing that it was less Backpack Hero and Slay the Spire and more like a marriage between Slay the Spire and Tetris, with Backpack Hero's inventory system as a small mechanic of the whole. I found some cool ways to break the game.

So I moved on to the third character, after winning with Tote. CR-8. Again, the mechanics made this feel like an entirely different game. In a great way. At first it felt like a weird change of pace from Tote, but there are so many ways to break the systems in this game and each character has unique mechanics.

There is a lot under the hood here, and I feel like an optimized run is difficult to identify.

I don't know if this game is for everyone, but it is certainly for me.

It's okay. Had fun, but has a very samey feel in my opinion. I don't love it, but It passed a day or two at work.

Go in blind. It's so enjoyable. I'll admit, there is **something I'd love to say that I want out of this game; but I don't want to say it here**. What this game accomplished has placed it quite easily into my top 5 gaming experiences. Fantastic. Solid game.

Edit:
It was added as Kaycee's Mod. Fantastic dev.

Good game. Hope to see more content and DLC in the future. Much more difficult than I initially thought it would be. Much more mechanical than I initially thought as well.

There are a few downsides, but ultimately I really enjoy it. I'll post a more in depth review when I complete the game. I just wanted to make sure I leave a positive review. This game deserves it.

Edit 10/28/2024:

Some new DLC came out and I'm going to give that a try as well. It seems reasonably priced.
Also, I never beat the game. It's a lot harder than I expected.

Do you like using logic gates to create moving, functioning objects?
Do you like using logic to create automated or controllable objects?
Do you like the idea of friendly competition?
Do you believe in continual improvement and that all things may continue to grow?

If the answer to any one of those questions was yes, you would enjoy this game. Games aren't always about being immersed in a world or being enticed by beautiful visuals (not that the game is ugly to look at). Games at their core are about enjoyment and interaction.

The community is great. Opening the game and utilizing the Discord button from the main menu makes this game incredible. Capturing GIFs with a single keystroke to share your creations and show off a little bit is cool. Uploading your drones to the workshop and fighting in sumo tournaments against other players feels friendly and inclusive.

The devs are active. They are working on this game. It is clear that it is well tended. They are friendly, and interact with their Discord server as well.

I'm a frugal person. With the 44 (2/3 is likely idling) in my current playtime, I feel like I have already gotten my money's worth at retail price. I'll be buying the game twice more at least, for my brother and my son.

Best yet, there's more to come.

Don't let my hours fool you.

I own this game on both the Switch and Steam. I love it. Admittedly, I'm a little busy because I have kids. It's difficult for me to sit down and play this game at my desk unless I'm running a short crawl.

The Console port of The Color of Madness comes out soon (8 Days from the point I am writing this review). So I would recommend getting it on a platform you choose.

While I prefer the Switch for its mobility and suspension of software, there is no mod support on the console. You will find wonderful mods for this in the Steam Workshop.

Onto the game.

Darkest Dungeon is a turn based RPG where every fight could not only go awry, but possibly eliminate your favorite crew. New recruits rotate in and out. Survivors walk away from victory, only to be left scarred and tormented by their experiences. It's your role to manage their fears, illnesses and loathing. Turn their hatred into your success.

You must manage the stress and quirks your not-so-merry band of heroes acquire through their adventures. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Push further into the depths of your estate and reclaim your home from the Darkness that dwells.

If you're looking for certain aspects of the game because they interest you:

-Roguelite
Roguelite elements are present. Permanent death is a factor. Every adventure that doesn't cripple your roster is a new brick in the foundation of your strength. Upgrade your buildings, trade resources, utilize services for your "heroes." All of this allows you to return to the battlefield just a bit stronger; if only to tear you down again.

-Difficulty
This game is not for the feint of heart. You will have entire parties wiped out. You will name your characters whom have survived long enough to max out their level, to lose them to a heart attack because some wretched party member laughed at them in the midst of battle. Often, when you think everything is going right, something will go terribly wrong.

-Art
The graphics are minimalistic, yet truly immersive. The artistic style, the sound (mainly the narration) and the ambience of each location presents a feeling of dread, impending doom, and hopelessness.

-Mod Support
There are a lot of really good mods out there. I've also heard that this game is very simple to mod for. There is some proprietary software you will need to create character skeletons for new classes, however. So please look into this if you're interested in the modding community.

-Battle
The turnbased mechanics in this game work wonderfully. It's always a bit random (There is so much RNG in this game). However, for your damage and hit, you will always see your likelihood of success alongside your potential damage. Status effects stack (bleeding, blight, buffs, debuffs). Position matters as well in the battles, as moving forward or backward in your ranks may allow you to access moves you cannot perform in other positions.

-Success
I feel very strongly about this subject. The game is hard. It will kick you when you are down. You will read others talking about how the "RNG" never works in their favor. Beat the RNG. Know what you are doing. Learn how to overcome the hurdles and when to retreat. The RNG can hurt you, but only as much as you let it. Decisionmaking, team positioning, provisioning and planning will overcome the RNG in almost every case as long as you don't get caught by an "unexpected" beast from beyond. However, when you do achieve a victory, the taste lingers for just long enough that you crave another.

Do not let madness descend upon you, but rather, descend into madness on your own terms.